The present invention relates to a grease filter of the type employed in canopies or hoods overlying relatively large grills, broilers, ranges, stoves and like equipment in kitchens of restaurants and other facilities where food is prepared.
Grease filters are typically provided with a rectangular frame to which rows of baffles are secured in staggered relation to form a grease and/or flame retarding filter for a kitchen exhaust/ventilation system. Examples of such filters are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,566,585 issued to Voloshen et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,856 issued to Jensen; U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,135 issued to Jordan; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,870,494 and 3,945,812 issued to Doane; U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,782 issued to Struble et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,949 issued to Rohrer. Also see U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,701 issued to Hedrick et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,898 issued to Maierhofer; U.S. Pat. No. 3,364,664 issued to Doane; U.S. Pat. No. 3,376,804 issued to Marks; U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,990 issued to Kittler; U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,174 issued to Guetersloh; U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,656 issued to Hammer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,422 issued to Wimbock; U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,825 B1 issued to Chemets et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,244 B1 issued to Galassi; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,840,975 B2 issued to Bohacik that disclose other baffled filter structures.
While the grease filters disclosed in the above referenced patents may function in a satisfactory manner for their intended purposes, there remains a need for a re-useable grease filter which enables ready cleaning of all filter surfaces. Preferably, the grease filter should be capable of being positioned in a closed condition for extracting grease from grease-laden exhaust air and an open position for permitting direct cleaning of all filter surfaces. In addition, preferably the grease filter should include a locking mechanism capable of preventing undesired opening of the filter during use.